GTA Contractors and Developers Their Stake's- Melancthon Fear that a sleepy community will be transformed into a hub of resource extraction, putting dust into the air and large blast noises that will echo through the community 6 days a week. Property values will go down.

The quarry will provide around 465 jobs fro the community according to the Highlands Companies.

Township is supposed to get around 1.2 million in annual revenues.

Afraid that they will be left to pay for, and manage after-effects of the quarry. ( Infrastructure and pumping system) Their Stake's- NDACT Their Stake's- Highlands Their Stake's - GTA The of Toronto is under a huge building boom. The GTA under an even larger one. The city and surrounding are is eating up aggregate at an unprecedented rate.

Cheap aggregate drives construction, construction drives the economy.

Aggregate should come from within 75km of point of construction.

2010 MNR ( Ministry of Natural Resource) report states that current GTA licensed sources for high quality stone could be depleted in ten years. North Dufferin Agriculture and Community Task force. Created at a community meeting in January 2009, and has a board made up of local farmers, people who have weekend properties in the township east of Melanchton, retired folks and a cowboy.

Has large environmental concerns regarding the quarry proposed within the township of Melancthon.

These are the people who will be directly impacted by the Mega Quarry. They are most concerned by the degradation of their homes.

Works closely with a group called CAUSE- Citizens Alliance United for a Sustainable Environment- it was estimated by the groups that around 300,000 dollars per year would be required to fight the Highlands application. ( In Caledon recently, 1.8 million was spent over 13 years by residents to stop a smaller quarry there)

Has cultural, social and environmental ties in stopping the quarry, their main concern being environmental. The Highlands Companies has huge economic concerns in the mega quarry. ( Lots of money for them and the Baupoust Group , the boston hedge fund.)

Claims to take the environment into their plans of development for the mega quarry.

Disregards cultural concerns, the citizens of Melancthon township sold their land to the Highlands Companies. Pros and Cons Social

Economic

Environmental

Cultural Social Pros Cultural Pros Environmental Pros Economic Pros Highlands Group Claims it will create local jobs, increase tax revenue and contribute to community activities. Cons You shouldn't believe what every one always says.

Infrastructure costs and maintenance.

Largest potato production in province will be no more.

Tax base and jobs would also be provided by potato production. Large amounts of money for the BaupostGroup.

465 local jobs will be created.

20 percent of the small townships tax base will be provided by the quarry.

GTA contractors and developers will have acheaper way of accessing aggregate and economieswill bloom in the increase of construction. Cons Amount of local jobs may be exaggerated. How can it be guaranteed to stay local.

Highlands company is currently contributing 20 percent of the townships tax base with potato farming. Highlands group will only developparts of the land at times, replacingthe soil once done in that area. Cons Taking top soil from a location, bulldozing, trucking and storing it for an extended period of time, then removing the draining/ watering subsoil, remove the approximate of 170ft of limestone aggregate and then try to but that top soil back in, you will not have the same soil or growing capacity that you once had. The angle of the sun hitting the ground will be different and frost will also come sooner, all in all, the agriculture production will be much poorer then it was before the development of the mega quarry.

Managing 600 million tonnes of water everyday, 1.8 trillion over a period of three days.

Pumping water in an out of the large aquifer will raise water temperatures and destroy ecosystems in the Noisy, Mad, Pine and Nottawasaga rivers. Cons Degradation of old Victorian homes

Quiet quaint lifestyles to be disruptedby production of the quarry.

Retired Trontonians who would liketo live in the township will choose not to if a quarry is there. Life styles are already changing with less and less of the next generation wanting to take over family farms. ISU Local Issue Research Presentation By: Peter Currie and Colm Cobb What Happened Action Plan Nov 21st 2012- The Highlands Companies, withdrew it's application to create an quarry in the township of Melancthon. Why?- NDACT events, provincial and federal government reluctance, community opposition,Big names- Big publicity, environmental opposition. Benefits and Ramifications Environmentally- Great!

Economics- Terrible

Social- Not affected much

Culturally- Great! Aggregate transportation costs are 60% of what consumers pay for it.Valuable farm land and soil will remain undisturbed, large water systems, including an aquifer and 5 river systems will not be affected by digging below the water table and pumping out large amounts of water from the quarry. Jobs and tax base will be more or less, still be provided by the highland companies continued potatoe production. Locals, tourists and retirees will keep their quaint, quiet country side just the way they like it. Conclusion Do we Agree With What Happened? Yes! We agree completely with what happened in this small close township. although the economic benefits would have been extremely nice for the local communities, the environmental and cultural damage that would have been associated with it much outweigh the good. It came down to what kind of community locals wanted to raise their children in and int he end they did not want an industrial township, rather the one they already had. Although they acknowledge the fact that the demand for aggregate will soon exceed the supply, it should also be noted that there are some areas north of this township that have aggregate reserves on a smaller scale, but in less populated areas, and without the environmental risk. In the end What was done was right, and will benefit local communities for generations. The Solution to the environmental, economic, and social problems which would be created by the Mega Quarry is to stop it from becoming a quarry and to force the highland group not to develop it the way they wish to which would inevitably cause them to resell the land since it would not be making the hedge fund Baupost group any money which is all they really care about. By doing completing our action plan and stop the mega quarry we would: prevent the destruction of 2,316 acres of prime agricultural land in Dufferin County, Ontario. It would stop the Highland Companies from developing what would be one of the largest open-pit mines in the North America and as such would be highly disruptive not only to prime agriculture, and aquifers, but also local plant life and the quality of life for all residents of this area as well as upstream and downstream communities. By drilling more than 200 feet below the ground’s surface this proposed quarry would affect a number of rivers, including the Nottawasaga and Grand Rivers. Furthermore it would result in the diversion of approximately 600,000,000 litres of fresh water per day (every day in perpetuity) to meet operational needs. Bibliography

Chapman, Sasha. "Farmer revolt: an unexpected casualty of Toronto's building boom is the sleepy southern Ontario township of Melancthon, where an American hedge fund plans to excavate s6 billion worth of limestone. How a small group of farmers, with the help of powerful, wealthy weekenders, made the mega-quarry protest a cause celebre."Toronto Life Aug. 2012: 56+. General OneFile. Web. 14 Dec. 2012.